The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is a survey used to measure the level of student participation at institutions of higher education as it relates to learning and engagement. NSSE collects information through its student survey, The College Student Report, that is administered at four-year colleges and universities. NSSE results are estimates of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college.
Use of Instrument
Institutions can use the data collected from NSSE to identify aspects of the undergraduate experience inside and outside of the classroom that can be improved through changes in policies and procedures. Information gathered from NSSE can also be used by prospective college students, their parents, high school counselors, academic advisers, institutional research officers, and researchers to learn more about how students spend their time at different colleges and universities and what they gain from their experiences. NSSE doesn’t assess student learning directly, but the survey results can be used as a source to point highlight areas where colleges and universities are performing well and aspects of the undergraduate experience that could be improved. (NSSE, 2017)
Type of Questionnaire
The questionnaire collects information in five categories: (1) participation in several educationally purposeful activities, (2) institutional requirements and the challenging nature of coursework, (3) perceptions of the college environment, (4) estimates of educational and personal growth since starting college, and (5) background and demographic information. (NSSE, 2017)
Use of Instrument
Type of Questionnaire
Number of Questions